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On December 16, 1944, the vanguard of three German armies, totaling half a million men, attacked US forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, achieving what had been considered impossible - total surprise. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the US Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler's last desperate effort of the war. The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the US Army - a triumph of American ingenuity and dedication over an egregious failure in strategic intelligence. A Time for Trumpets is the definitive account of this dramatic victory, told by one of America's most respected military historians, who was also an eyewitness: MacDonald commanded a rifle company in the Battle of the Bulge. His account of this unique battle is exhaustively researched, honestly recounted, and movingly authentic in its depiction of hand-to-hand combat. Mingling firsthand experience with the insights of a distinguished historian, MacDonald places this profound human drama unforgettably on the landscape of history. Read more
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Paperback
This is not an easy book to read; it makes demands on the reader's attention and ability to connect the dots. If you're looking to be entertained, maybe this isn't the book for you. But if you want truly to *understand* the Battle of the Bulge, then this is *the* book to start with and also probably return to more than once. MacDonald is even-handed in discussing both the US and German perspectives, from command level down to small unit actions. He understands that it was small unit actions in a broad N to S arc E of Bastogne that contributed decisively to the eventual successful defense of Bastogne by delaying the German advance, even if only for a few hours, thus disrupting the German timetable and route assignments, and by forcing unanticipated expenditure of scarce supplies. Many of the US units involved were eventually overrun or broke, and orderly withdrawals were certainly the exception. But their often stubborn resistance were what enabled the ultimately successful defense of Bastogne. An entire hagiography has been built up around the defenders of Bastogne, but magnificent as they were, that defense is but one part of a much larger story. That story would have turned out very differently, for example, without the valor and plain old-fashioned grit of the combat engineers who blew bridges and created road barriers, or lightly armed recon units who fought house-to-house delaying actions. After all, it was SS LTC Joachim Peiper himself who reportedly exclaimed, after a small combat engineer detachment blew a bridge at Habiémont to finally block Peiper's advance, "Those engineers. Those damned engineers." MacDonald gives those engineers the credit they deserve. MacDonald's attention to small unit actions, to soldiers in the ranks, to NCOs and junior officers, is for me a major reason to place his history above other general histories of the Bulge. MacDonald is an excellent historian, able to provide all the order of battle and after action report information anyone could desire. But more importantly, he was at the Bulge himself, commanding an infantry company (his "Company Commander" is a classic, an absolute must read for anyone who wishes to begin understanding what combat command is like). He gets what it was like for the grunts and other front line troops. He knows first hand how cold, snow, hunger, fatigue, confusion, and fear affected them. He knows their perspective is lost in reports and official histories, so to be sure this didn't happen in his book, he interviewed or corresponded with as many of them as he could. He knows that at bottom it is *their* story he is telling, and this comes out in many small ways throughout his book that make it a very rich read. Just how rich became evident to me on recently walking some of the ground at the Bulge. Establishing this kind of connection between written text and the actual places events happened is the mark of good historian in command of his subject.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2019 by OFFM
This book is an incredibly detailed and factual account of the Battle of the Bulge. If you do not know the geography of this area of Europe, it can be very confusing keeping the places straight. Even with a map of the area, one can become frustrated. A simplified set of maps showing the names of just the towns and rivers and major roads labeled would have been so helpful. The first 2-300 pages of the book set the stage for the battle and are somewhat dry and unexciting. It was tedious getting through some sections. On the other hand, when the author describes the personal stories such as those of two survivors of the Malmedy massacre and interpersonal conflicts and relationships between key people (especially Eisenhower, Bradley, and Montgomery), the writing is brilliant and exceptionally engaging. I could not put the book down during the second half. My advice to a prospective reader would be to “stick with it”! I am so glad I finished the book! I read a lot about WWII, but there were several events in this book that I had never heard of—at least not in enough detail to make them as memorable as this book has—specifically the sinking of a troop transport ship named Leopoldville. I actually found myself crying because the description was so sensitively written.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2020 by Debra K. Bonafede
Okay, 5 Stars given, even though the Kindle version didn't have maps (which would have been helpful). Despite that, a VERY enjoyable and informative read if you like WW2 history. Better imo than McDonald's "Company Commander". This book, detailing both American and German perspectives (along with Belgian civilians too), gives an all encompassing look at the Battle of the Bulge and in a way few others have even attempted (and I've read more than a few). From individual PFCs in their foxholes, to American and German tank commanders, up to the Generals and Field Marshals the battle is detailed in sometimes an hour by hour recounting. It's fascinating to see how literally minutes, or even seconds, matter in combined arms combat. That immediate time factor, and the fog of war, contributed to many actions recounted. Perhaps most informative, the legend that has perpetuated over the years of initial hysteria and panic by US forces in the initial German attacks are finally put into perspective and ultimately, dispelled. A great read, almost novel like in presentation, a meticulously documented, this is a solid choice not only for details about the specific battle, but about combat in the European Theater during WW2.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022 by Timothy Knox
This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read concerning the infamous Battle of the Bulge in WWII. The author, who fought in this battle, did an excellent job of research in putting this play-by-play account of the battle together. For some of you this book will probably provide too much information in that it details specific unit battles which took place over the entire battlefield. This book is not the typical Hollywood account of the battle; that is a battle that specifically address only one specific unit in the battle for Bastogne. Although the battle for Bastogne was critical and the holding of this major cross-roads town was paramount to stopping the German attack, many other critical battles occurred which involved a wide variety of mechanized artillery, tank, and infantry units of the Allied Command. This book also details the battle strategy of the German Army in this critical last-ditch effort of Adolf Hitler to stop, or at least curtail, the Allied advance into Nazi Germany. It gives a detailed account of German fighting units' military objectives and strategies who fought in this battle. This book also goes into detail of the types of weapons used by both the Allied and German forces in this battle. As an example, the U.S. Army's POSIT artillery round; which at the time of the battle was a secret classified artillery shell designed to explode at a specific-set altitude over enemy-held positions.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2015 by Sean Ireland
An outstanding book capturing the Battle of the Bulge in great detail. Charles B. McDonald took great pains to record unit movements, engagements and results for the entire battle - although after reaching the German high water mark the account doesn't go into near the detail as the earlier portions of the operation. US Army regimental actions are recorded in great detail with many descriptions going down to the Company level. A great piece of work for those interested in small unit actions in the Ardennes. Although the greatest amount of detail captured is of American units the German and SS units are not forgotten. The author regularly records Axis units at the division and frequently at the regimental / kampfgruppe level. Mr. McDonald engaged with fellow veterans capturing their experiences and weaving them into the story. Highlights of personal accounts include survivors of the Malmedy Massacre, German tank commanders exploitation of the fog of war, and the Allied soldier's confusion caused by the German's use of captured US Army vehicles. The amount of individual accounts isn't quite to the level of George Koskimaki's Battered Bastards of Bastogne. None the less there is enough there to really give the reader a sense of what it was like to fight in the Bulge. Mr. McDonald includes discussions of the strategic aspects of the Battle. He provides insight into Hitler's thinking and his general staff's response to his plans. An extensive discussion of the impending battle's indicators that Allied intelligence missed, and how that major failure impacted future strategic decision making post Battle of the Bulge. Mr. McDonald describes the role ULTRA intercepts played in the Allies' decision making process and provides numerous examples of how the intelligence was used throughout the book. The historical research and writing without a doubt deserves four stars. Mr. McDonald did an excellent job organizing the material into a readable format which I was able to follow without too much effort. I read the e-book (Kindle) version which is published by Endeavour Press. Endeavour's conversion / editing to the e-book version is rated at three stars. Generally Endeavour did a good editing job - a few places where they missed removing hyphenated words and a few misspellings, but nothing that actually detracts from the read. Copious use of hyperlinks for references and chapters. Now for the serious blunder by Endeavor - they included no maps. Here we have a detailed study of a large military operation and have absolutely no maps to refer to during the dialog. As a result I was very close to giving this book as published two stars. I ended up referring to maps published by the US Army's official history of the battle which can be found on-line. In summary a must read for Bulge enthusiasts - especially if you are interested in specific engagements of the operation. If you are looking for an introductory book on the Battle of the Bulge I do not recommend this as a first read. There is so much detail it is easy to loose sight of the forest for all the trees. Regardless do not purchase the Kindle version of this book due to the missing maps. Instead go for the paper version.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2015 by Nickolas B Rusch
Format: Paperback
The late Charles B. McDonald, a true American hero, starts this book off with the premise that the Battle of the Bulge was a great American victory. It's a hard concept to swallow knowing there were 80,000 casualties in this battle but "A Time For Trumpets" makes a compelling case. If one were to look at the first three or four days in isolation, the Germans kicked the tar out of the few American divisions poised against them. With local tactical superiority and no fear from Allied air attacks due to zero-visibility weather, this outcome was predictable and it is precisely this small period that lends credence to the notion that the Americans suffered a great defeat in the Ardennes at the hands of the Germans. However, "Trumpets" opens the aperture to view the battle over a period of weeks and in that context, one can see the great American victory. The outgunned American forces that held up the Germans for those initial early days were heroes, not cowards. They traded their lives for time while the Americans fortified Bastogne and the northern shoulder of the Bulge near St. Vith. In an unprecedented show of mobility, Eisenhower trucked in hundreds of thousands of reinforcements who took positions designed to prevent the Bulge from widening. As the German spearheads expended themselves and outran any hope of resupply, the Allies attacked this overextended force and defeated them. Hitler could have better used these 29 divisions, 350,000 men, 1,500 tanks and self-propelled artillery in other theatres but he chose to thrust them into the jaws of the American lines where they were subsequently chewed up and spit out. There were strategic and tactical blunders by the high commands of both armies but the American GI, through unbelievable tenacity and courage, turned this defeat into a victory. MacDonald makes this convincing case in "Trumpets", which is as thorough and exacting an account of the Battle of the Bulge as ever written. While he does a complete job, some readers will find their curiosity piqued and look for more. For them I suggest Astor's "A Blood Dimmed Tide", Eisenhower's "The Bitter Woods" and Toland's "Battle". The maps are adequate but the reader may want to secure additional and better maps to use as a reference. "Trumpets" is over 700 pages long with a complete Order of Battle, meticulously footnoted and completely indexed. A must-read for students of World War II. John E. Nevola Author of The Last Jump - A Novel of World War II
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2010 by John E. Nevola
Format: Kindle
For those already extremely knowledgeable of the Battle of the Bulge, this book adds near granular detail of the experience of particular units involved. The book would greatly benefit from including maps to accompany the narrative.
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2025 by Amazon Customer
CBM. Has brought the Battle of the Bulge to life for the non military person. In December 1944 the United States Army was completely and totally surprised at the German Counter Offensive. The primary objection of this assault was to drive to Antwerp and assume control of the stored fuel. The first two weeks of the assault were devastating to the U.S. Forces. They were driven back by the German Tank offensive, which was a do you or die situation for Germany. Although surprised the American and British forces were able to fight off the attack which would be the last she in the war. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
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Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019 by Kindle Customer